Sewing machine



R. Jl SAU-ER sEwNG MACHINE Sept. 8, 1936.

Filed Jan. 15, 1934 4 SheetS-Sheeb l Sept. 8, 1936.

R. J. SAILER v SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. l5, 1954 R. J.SAILER SEWING MACHINE Sept. 8, 1936.

Filed Jan. vl5, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 R. J. SAILE R SEWING MACHNE sept;s, ms;

Filed Jan. 13, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept.- 8, 1936 UNITEDSTATES PATENT oFElcE SEWING MACHINE Rudolph J. sauer', rowniey, N. J.,mignor u The Singer Manufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application January 13, 1934, Serial No.706,472

'v claim, l(ci. 11a-z) This invention relates to absorbent surgical padssuch, for example, as the small cylindrical saliva-absorbent pads knownas dental rolls and commonly used by dentists as oral packing intooth-filling operations.

The invention has for an object to provide a sewing machine for makingan improved absorbent surgical pad of cylindrical contour and uniformlyspongy texture throughout, having high absorptive properties andcomparatively freeA of hard spots and relatively large voids.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine for makingsuch pads in one continuous roll from strip-material, to be subsequentlycut transversely into individual pads of the desired length.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear,the invention comprises the devices, combinations, and arrangements ofparts hereinafter set forth and illustrated Iin the accompanyingdrawings of a preferred embodiment of the invention, from which theseveral features ofthe invention and the advantages attained therebywill be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the bed of asewing` machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe machine. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is afragmentary rear side elevation of the machine, showing the puller-feedactuating clutch. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary front side elevation of themachine. Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6, Fig. l. Fig. 'I is a planview of the fabric sheath guiding and inverting tube and associatedlead-in guide. Fig. 8 is a view from` the left of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is asection on the line 9 9, Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of thespiral core-folding guide. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal vertical sectionthrough the core-'folding guide. Figs. 12, 13, 14 and 15 are,respectively, sections on the lines I2-I2, I3-I3, Il--Il and |5-I5, Fig.ll. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the inner folding scroll shown inFigs. 10 and 11. Fig. 17 is an elevation of a surgical -pad such asproduced by aid of the machine of my invention. Fig. 18 is a transversesection of the pad shown -in Fig. 17, and Fig. 19 is a perspective viewof the pad vwith a portion of the sheath broken away to show the core.

The machine, in the preferred embodiment illustrated, preferablycomprises a conventional chain-stitch sewing machine having a bed I andgooseneck 2 terminating in the overhanging head I for the reciprocatoryneedle-bar 4 carrying the eye-pointed needle 5 with which cooperates theusual looper 8 driven bythe main-shaft 1 below the cloth-plate t whichis raised above and carried by the bed I.

The needle reciproeates through the needle- Ii hole 9 in a throat-platelli having a portion of its upper surface at and in rear of theneedle-hole 9 raised somewhat above the level of the clothplate 8, asshown in Fig. 2.

The usual four-motion feed-dog is preferably l0 omitted, and thepresser-foot II, carried by the presser-bar I2, is arranged not to bearupon the raised portion of the throat-plate I0, but to be spacedslightly thereabove, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to function principallyto strip the cloth being stitched from the rising needle. The narrow gapthus provided between the throat-plate and presser-foot receives thesuperposed and outwardly protruding edge-portions I3 of a longitudinallyfolded absorbent fabric-sheath-strip Il and holds them in juxtapositionduring the sewing.

The absorbent fabric-sheath-strip Il is preferably led forwardly overthe cloth-plate 8 from the supply reel I5, Fig. 1, to and through alooped wire guide-post I6 and through the wire guideloop Il to thefolding guide I8 which is of the conventional English binder type havinga U shaped passageway therethrough and provided atits inclined deliveryend I9, Fig. 7, with a U shaped inner edge 2li, Fig. 9, around which thelongitudinally folded fabric-stripv is inverted and drawn away at anangle of substantially 90 to the direction of travel of the fabric stripbefore inversion thereof.

There is embraced within the delivery end of the folder I8 afabric-sheath guiding and inverting tube 2| externally andlongitudinally of which the folded and inverted fabric-sheath-strippasses from the fabric-strip inverting edge 2li of the folder I8. Thetube 2l is supported Aonly at its forward end, Fig. 7, as by beingsoldered to one leg 22 of an angle-bracket the other leg 23 of which maybe soldered to the front wall of the folder I8. Upper and lowertransversely curved .leaf-spring members r24, soldered or otherwisesecured to the folder I8, bear yieldingly upon the fabric-sheath stripexternally of the tube 2i and closely confine the sheath-strip intubular form while it is being stitched. l I

'I'he stitched tubular sheath passes rearwardly from the stitching pointto the free end 25o! the tube 2i where it is inverted or turnedinside-out and is drawn together with the core 29 as a continuous rollftforwardly within the tube 2|, the

raw-edges I3 of the fabric-strip being now concealed within the sheath.The folder I8 is also preferably provided at its delivery end with theupper and lower edge-confining and guiding iingers 21, Fig. 9, for thesheath-strip as it leaves the folder.

The core 29 of the present surgical pad is preferably made frommulti-ply absorbent; paper stripstock indicated at 28. For making dentalrolls having a' iinished diameter of approximately inch, I prefer to usemulti-ply absorbent paper strip-stock approximately 2 inches wide andhav'- ing a number of plies sufiiciently to form as nugly lled spongyroll. I pass this strip-stock through a specially designedspiral-'folder' 29' which longitudinally folds the multi-ply stripf28and curls it widthwise into a smooth andsnugly filled but not tightlypacked spongy cylindrical core 29 and directs such core into thereceiving end 25 of the tube 2| around which the fabricsheathis-inverted to envelop the core which is now substantially free of largevoids and is of substantially uniformly 'spongytexture throughout.Referring to Figs. 10 to 15, inclusive, the folder 29 comprises an outerspirally rolled and longitudinally tapered scroll 30 and an inner scroll3| of about half the length ofthe outer scroll supported within themouth or receiving end of the outer scroll. The inner edge 32 of theouter scroll fprogresses as a condensing spiral from the large receivingend to the small delivery end of the folder. The inner scroll 3| isspacedfrom the outer scroll and prevents-premature collapse'andcrumpling of the paper stripas it is being curled sup transversely andprogressively into spiral form in its passage through the folder. Theslot 33 in the inner scroll 3| and-the slots 34 in the tube v2 Ij permitthe use of a pointed implement or pusher to. assist in threading thebeginning ends of thestrips through the respective devices.

From the delivery end 35 of thetube 2I,-the

sheathed core 26 runs forwardly in one continuous length to and aroundthe guide pulley 36 and thence rearwardly past the guide-pulley 31 tothe ico-actingupper and lower puller-feed rolls 38, 3 9. The upperfeed-roll 38 is supported by the shaft Y 40 journaled in the bracket 4|fixed to thelower end of a vertical spring-pressed bar 4 2 slidablymounted 4in the guide-bracket 43 which is screwed to the frame-head 3.

The lower feed-roll 39 is which is journaled in bearing brackets 45rising from the bed extension v45 screwed tothe bed Step-by-step feedingmovements are imparted '-to the shaft 44 by means of a conventionaladjustable feed-eccentric 46- on the main-shaft' which is connected by apitman 41 to the live oscil-A latory clutch-roll spider 48 loose on-theshaft 4 4 and having a clutch-roll carrying portion enterl ing aclutch-cavity 49 inone end of the cylindri-r cal member 5|) fast to theshaft 44. A stationary anchor clutch-roll spider 5| fast .to the bearingbushing 52 has an anchor clutch-roll carrying p0rnism of the live andstationary clutchroll spiders z-48, 5I, with the intermediatecylindrical member having clutchroll cavities in its opposite ends, isthe conventional pull-feed operating' clutch disclosed, for example, inthe patentap- ,plication of Irving Webb; Serial No'. 648,854; papeltoform a, spons-y core of substantially um "late or define the length ofthe stitches made in the sheath I 4' b y `the stitch-forming mechanism.Theus'ual lifting levers 59 and 60 are provided 'for the presser-bars I2and 42, respectively.

- It is understood that the continuous roll 26 issuing from the machineis subsequently to be cut inf-the desired lengths to form the surgicalpads, such as shownin Fig. 19, The invention is not to be understood astothe detailsmof construction and relativenrangements of parts of.theupreferred -embodi-i.,

ment of the invention shown and described, as various modifications mayobviously be made by those skilled inthe art withinthe spirit. and*scope. of the invention.:

Havingfthus set forth. the nature of the in# 1. In a sewingfmachne, incombination, a.;

fabric-sheath guiding and inverting tube,A for presenting an absorbent.coreto said tube, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatoryneedle arranged tofstitch lsaid sheath in.

tubular 'forni externally of said tube, andv stepby-stepoperatingpuller-feed mechanism timed in'coperative relation with said needleandarranged to operatively engage aportion of vvthe sheathed core whichhasfemerged from said tube.

2. In a sewing machine, 'incombinatiom a fabricsheath guiding andinverting tube, means for spirally curling a 'continuous multi-ply:strip.. Iof

absorbent materialinto a core and directing-said core into said tube,stitch-forming mechanism.

withsaid needle and arranged tovoperatively; en- Xed t0 the shaft 44gage a4 portion of the sheathed core which-has emerged from said tube. l

3. In a sewing. machine, in combination, a frame including a bed andoverhanging bracketarm, a fabric-sheath guiding andinverting tubemounted on said bed, means for directing an absorbent core forwardly andpresenting it tothe receiving end of saidtube, stitch-forming mechanismincluding a reciprocatory. needle arranged to stitch said sheath intubular formf externally of said tube, amain-shaft connected to drivethe stitchforming mechanism, puller-feed mechanism disposed at therear-of said bracket-e arm and connected'to, be driven by-.saidmainshaft, and guiding means mounted forwardly of said tube and aroundwhich the sheathed core emerging from said tube runs forwardly andthence rearwardly to said puller-feed mechanism.

4. Ina sewing machine, in combination, aframe including a bed andoverhanging bracket arm, a fabric-sheath guiding and inverting tubemounted on said bed, aspiral strip-folder adapted to spirally curl andsnugly but not tightlyf compactacontinuous mutiply strip of absorbentform texture, said strip-folder being disposed in rear of thebracket-arm in position to direct said core forwardly into the receivingend of said tube, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatoryneedle arranged to stitch said sheath in tubular form externally of saidtube, a mainshaft connected to drive the stitch-forming mechanism.puller-feed mechanism disposedV at the rear of said bracket-armalongside said stripfolder, and guiding means mounted forwardly of saidtube and around which the sheathed core emerging from said tube runsforwardly and thence rearwardly to said puller-feed mechanism.

5. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanismincluding a reciprocatory needle, of a guide-tube disposed transverselyof and alongside the path of said needle, means for spirally foldingcontinuous absorbent strip material to form a snugly but not tightlycurled spongy core and directing said core into said guide-tube, meansfor longitudinally folding a covering strip about said guide-tube andpresenting the edges oi' said strip to said needle, said guide-tubehaving a free end about which the stitched covering strip is invertedand drawn into and through said guide-tube in covering relation to saidspirally folded core and 'stepby-step operating puller-feed mechanismacting upon said covered core.

6. In a sewingvmachine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanismincluding a reciprocatory needle, of a guide-tube disposed transverselyof and alongside said needle. means for presenting continuous absorbentstrip material in the form of a spongy core to said guide-tube. meansfor longitudinally folding a covering strip about said guide-tube andpresenting the edges of said strip to said needle, said guide-tubehaving a free end in rear of said needle about which the'stitchedcovering strip is inverted and drawn forwardly into and through saidguide-tube in covering relation to said core, a puller-feed mechanism inrear of said guide-tube, and a pulley in front of said guide-tube aroundwhich thecore and its enveloping stitched covering strip run to saidpuller-feed mechanism.

7. In a sewing machine, in combination, a fabric-sheath guiding andinverting tube, means for longitudinally folding continuous absorbentstrip material spirally to form a snugly but -not tightly curled spongycylindrical core distinct from said sheath and directing said core tosaid tube, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needlearranged to stitch a fabricsheath in tubular form externally of said'tube, and means for feeding the sheathed core through said tube. rRUDOLPH J. SAILER.

